Rā o te Whaea
by SAga4000
Summary: A late mother's day special!


**Rā o te Whaea**

* * *

 _She couldn't believe it_. Six months had gone by so fast, and Hina was growing and more each day. Each blink, gaze, and touch never ceased to amaze her. Especially now, as she finally learned to sit up with nothing supporting her back, roll over on her own and Moana could see that soon, she would begin to crawl.

Moana smiled as she looked over where Maui and Hinatea were, as their little girl laid, completely wide awake in her _wahakura_ ––a baby basket made from woven flax leaves, just kicking her legs up in the air and flapping her arms about as Maui was "trying" to get to take her late morning sleep. But she knew him well enough to know he was trying to spend as much time with her as possible. Even, if that meant she would stay up a little longer.

" _ **OW!**_ Okay, Hina, _Hina_ _let go._ " Maui urged her as her tiny fingers clasped tightly against his loose thick curly hair. Moana got up from where she sat, lounging on the fine mat and stood up to hear a loud pained cry from her _faletua_ , followed by silence as she saw several strands of his hair clutched in her hand.

Moana got closer and saw Hinatea staring fixedly at the thin strands in her clutched hand before she started opening and closing it her hand. Her big round eyes watched attentively as the strands started to fall to her sleeping basket. Within five seconds the rest of the strands fell.

She then started at her empty hand and watched as she curled and uncurled her fingers. Then she looked up and saw her mother's face there. She let out a high pitch squeal, smiled with her mouth open as she excitedly kicked her legs in the air and flapped her arms for a few seconds before she stopped and lifted her arms toward her.

Moana smiled as she got down on her knees and pulled her out of the baby basket. "You should be asleep little one." Moana cooed as she held her daughter upon her lap. Hinatea started bouncing as she looked up at her mother.

Moana went, " _ **AHAAAA** …_" Imitating the sound her little girl would make.

" _ **KAKAKAKA!**_ " Hinatea shrilled before blew raspberries.

Moana giggled before she intimated the sound, using the same tone and pitch. " _ **KAKAKAKA!**_ "

Hinatea looked up at her mother with astonishment before she gave her a wide open-mouth smile and started bouncing excitedly as she let out a happy shrill and started flapping her arms.

Maui scoffed, gathered up his thick curly hair and tied up in a topknot. "You're doing it _wrong_." He said in a sing-a-long voice. Moana rolled her eyes and kept making noises.

"Why do you even talk to her when she can't talk yet?" He asked.

"Well, how else is she going to learn?" Moana replied back before she kept letting out some of their daughter's favorite noises.

Maui folded his arms over his chest and pointed, "Whatever happened to _nap time?_ "

"We're getting there," Moana replied as she continued for a moment and blew raspberries back at her––but Hina's attention had quickly diverted elsewhere as Hina's little hands attempted to grip the top edges of Moana's puletasi and pull it down. "Settle down, settle down," Moana told Hina gently as she pulled her daughter's hand off the top of her puletasi.

She then settled Hinatea to sit upright and prepare her for nursing, about five seconds later, she lowered the top right side of her puletasi and allowed their six-month-old daughter latch on.

Moana watched as Hinatea's eyes slowly moved to look up at her, and she saw wonder in her young daughter's gaze. Innocent wonder. Ten minutes later that curious glimmer in her daughter's eyes slowly shifted to sleepiness and her eyes slowly to flutter against her droopy eyes and soon they shut, but her mouth continued on moving in a suckling motion for another five. Moana waited another five minutes before she gently pulled Hina away and slowly pulled the top of her puletasi over her chest.

Hinatea snorted and shifted but didn't wake.

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

Her eyes slowly opened and gazed around at the soft blue atmosphere of the clear-blue lagoon. She looked up when she heard a muffled watery splash coming from above. The bubble started to float up toward the surface, uncovering her mother as she slowly sank into the water. Moana turned and looked where her one-year-old daughter swam and saw her young daughter kicking her legs and paddling her arms toward her.

The words rang in Moana's head. Children knew how to swim before they knew how to walk and this was especially true for all children from her island and the new islands she and her people discovered.

She stretched her hands out to her daughter and held her tight in the water as she swam to the surface.

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

The two each took a gulp of air, and her two-year-old daughter immediately slapped her hand against the surface of the water, splashing it everywhere as she squealed, " _ **Ha! Ha! Ha!**_ **"**

Soon Hina's attention drifted elsewhere as she looked up at the sky where she could see the smoke from the umu fading into the air. "Co'nut milk!" Hinatea shouted in excitement as she pointed up to the sky.

Moana smiled and asked, "Well, would you like to get some?"

"Co'nut milk!" Hinatea replied before her mother then swam over to the bank, with her arm around her young daughter. Hinatea crawled out from under her mother's arm and ran off in the direction where they had come from.

"Dada!" Hinatea screamed once she saw her father sitting on the malae, beside her grandmother and grandfather.

Maui lifted his arms up and clawing his fingers up as he announced, "It's time for the tickle monster!"

Hinatea shrieked in laughter as she quickly turned around and toddled the other way. Maui purposely mimicked her movements, keeping his pace slow as he could before he caught her in his hands, "Got'cha!" He screamed as his heart smiled at the sounds of her shrilling laughter.

"Mama!" Hinatea called out excitedly as Moana walked over toward her, smiling at them both.

Maui smiled to see his chief and consort slowly striding over toward them. Hinatea held her arms out for her mother. Moana smiled as she reached over for her.

Hinatea squealed when she felt her mother's hands grasping her sides as she slowly pulled her out of her father's hand on to her own. Moana smiled as she brought her daughter close for a hongi, and then she pressed her lips to the side of daughter's head before she pulled her little body away and then bounced her up in the air.

Their daughter's loud shrills filled the air. " _ **AHAAAAAAAA** ––_"

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

"Hina, Tala!" Moana shouted out in a panic, having just woke up only to find both her daughters missing that morning. Where had they gone?Apprehension filled her mind as she heard the sounds of her father and mother shouting their names behind her, followed by her consort's hawkish screeches as he searched for them in the skies above.

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

" _–– **Shhhh** …_" Six-year-old Hinatea shushed to her soon to be three-year-old sister Tala, who sat strapped to her back, inside her pikau. Her usually slanted eyes were wide in anticipation and excitement to her big sister's actions as they wandered through the jungle, looking for flowers to give to their mother––before the sun rose.

"Papa's up!" Tala shouted as she pointed to the sky.

Hinatea quickly dropped to the ground and covered her head, hoping that would be enough to avoid their father's eyes.

She slowly lifted her head up from the grass and let out a huge sigh of relief before she rose to her feet and began her mission, find something that would make her mother feel special _today_.

Hina didn't know what to call this newly formed idea––but all she knew it involved making mothers––her mother especially––feel good today for being the best mother they could be.

 _ **CRACK! CRACK!**_

She quickly whirled around to face the thick lush rubber, mango, and breadfruit trees, and picked up a long fallen thin branch as she waited for her enemy to even dare and foil _her plans_ ––a puzzled look came to her face as hse slowly lowered the branch down as she called out, crinkling her nose in confusion, "Hiapo?"

Eleven-year-old Hiapo let out a sigh of relief before he turned, ready to call for the others when Hina shouted, "Wait! Wait! Wait! You can help me!"

Hiapo slowly turned back to face her with an astonished expression on his face as he spoke out in confusion, "Help you?"

"Yeah!" She replied with an obvious tone in her voice, "Today is the day to make Mommy feel real good! For being my mom."

Hiapo gave her a flat stare as he raised his right brow. "Couldn't you have figured out another way to do that?"

"No! I don't wanna ruin my own surprise!" Hina protested.

His eyes widen in shock before he berated her, "You made your mother and everyone else worried sick!" He grabbed her hand pulled her along, "I'm taking you back––"

Hina wrenched her hand free and stood there, giving him an angry stare. She heaved for a moment with tears ready to spill from the corner of her eyes, before she turned to face her little sister. "Sorry Tala," Hina whimpered, before she got down on one knee, and undid the straps to her pikau. Tala slid down her back and looked up at her sister in confusion.

"Please, _please_ , don't tell anybody where I went." Hina begged him, "I wanna surprise Mama, please…"

Hiapo paused for a moment, ready to tell her off once more––but then stopped when he saw the watery look in her eyes and felt a pang in his heart.

He sighed and walked over to take Tala's hand and pulled her along. Hina paused for a moment and looked up at him and noticed that he'd left Tala's pikau there and moved to grab it––

"Leave it." He told her as he lifted to carry Tala on his hip, "Let's get you back to your mama, okay?" He said to her.

"'Kays." Tala replied before she turned and waved to her sister, "Bye! Bye! Hina!"

Hiapo took a deep breath and proceeded to carry Tala away from the area, leaving Hina to do whatever she needed to do.

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

"Chief Moana!" Hiapo called out to the group. Sina ran over toward him first and reached out to take Tala from his arms.

Moana and Tui raced over to where he and Sina were, and both were relieved to see Tala in Sina's arms. Moana rushed over to her mother and daughter and immediately reached over for her young daughter.

"Hi, Mama!" Tala greeted as Moana hugged her tight. Soon all of her worries washed away, like a waterfall pouring down a new stream. She held her daughter tight, like she'd never held her before, and didn't want to let go.

Tala grunted but stayed silent, despite the fact she was having a hard breathing. Moana's instincts told her that she'd hugged her daughter enough, and finally set her down. Soon, she turned to where Hiapo had come from and waited for her eldest daughter to come out. But, she never did.

She finally turned to Hiapo with obvious worry. Where was _Hina?_

Hiapo immediately swallowed the lump in his throat and Moana took a step forward. "Hiapo, where is she?"

"I… _I can't tell you._ " Came his nervous reply.

Her eyes narrowed, "Hiapo, as your Chief––"

"I'm sorry Chief, I can't tell you." Hiapo told her again, "But, I can tell you this much, she's safe."

Tui took a step forward and demanded, "Hiapo, _where is she?_ "

Hiapo took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry Chief Moana, I _can't_ tell you. I really can't. But she's safe and she'll come back when she's ready to."

He spotted his mother amongst the crowd––and then an idea came to mind… and to be true, he was interested in her idea. "Chief Moana and Mom, with your permission, I'll be more than happy to bring Hina back for you."

Moana thought for a moment before she reluctantly nodded, "But I want her back at the village as soon as you find her again."

"Yes, Chief," Hiapo replied.

Moana turned back to her father and nodded to him. He put the conch shell horn to his lips and blew, letting out the low resonating call that signalled to everyone that the search had come to an end.

Waiola then turned to Hiapo for a moment with a confused look on her face, but her frown disappeared once she saw him smile back at her. She shook her head and sighed before she reluctantly followed the rest of the group back to the village.

Hiapo stood there and watched till they all left, before letting out a huge sigh of relief before he turned and headed back in the direction in which he came.

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

By the time he came back, he found that Hina had moved several feet away from where they'd last seen each other. This time, she was on the ground, with her legs crossed as her fingers fumbled together in concentration, as she was in the middle of crafting a lei with all of her mother's favorite flowers.

"Need help?" Hiapo asked.

Hina quickly whirled her head around to where he stood, and a small smile came to her lips as she replied, "Sure."

Hiapo then walked over and sat down beside her, before he said, "I'm taking one for my mother by the way."

"Fine by me." Hinatea replied confidently as she continued weaving the flowers together, before she held up her half-finished creation and said to herself in a low confident whisper, "Mom's _gonna love this._ "

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

Trouble, was the last thing Hinatea expected to be in by the time she came back to the village, bursting with happiness, holding the finished lei behind her back, ready to present it to her mother as she pushed aside the _pola_ sheet––when all of a sudden she was met her mother's and grandfather's angered faces.

Her mother stood up and walked over toward her. Hinatea slowly backed away––in fear for what trouble she would be in––when all over a sudden she felt her mother's arms around her for a moment before she finally pulled away and asked in a slightly scolding tone, "Where have you been? And I want the truth."

Hinatea stiffened for a moment but reluctantly pulled her arms from her back, revealing the _lei_ she had hiding back there. A small sniff made its way to her nose as she once again feared the trouble she would be in, and said in a quivering voice, "I made these… for _you_."

Moana was immediately puzzled and then touched by her daughter's gesture and her efforts. She felt her worried rage slowly flow away like sand being pulled by the ocean waves, but, she also felt that she had to discipline, and so she gave her a warning. "Never, do that again." Before she lowered her head down.

An opened gasping smile came to Hina's lips as she got down in front of her mother and slowly placed the lei around her neck.

* * *

 **IIIIIIIIIIII**

* * *

Moana then lifted her head and looked up to face thirteen-year-old Hinatea, as she sat in front of her, with her daughter's thick curly hair tied together in a single low ponytail.

Hinatea smiled to see the smile on her mother's face as she said, "Happy Mom's Day, Mom."

Moana's smile then turned slightly cheeky as she reached over toward the tied lei and promptly untied it before she reached up for her half topknot and let her wavy-curly hair loose, and turned to her daughter before she uttered, revealing the secret she'd wanted to share for a while, "Happy third big sister's day to you too."

* * *

List of terminology:  
Wahakura: A traditional Maori baby basket made from flax leaves.


End file.
